Florida Pretrial Intervention Programs

Posted on Apr 2, 2013 12:00am PDT

Florida law provides a mechanism for many types of non-violent criminal
cases to be dismissed upon completion of a pretrial intervention program.
If charged with a non-violent criminal misdemeanor or felony of the third
degree, you may be eligible for pretrial intervention, if:

You do not have more than one non-violent misdemeanor in your criminal
history; and,

The victim, State and Court approve.

Even in instances where the State does not approve, you may be eligible
for pretrial intervention in certain types of cases or circumstances.
A person is eligible for pretrial intervention if charged with a non-violent
felony (such as a forcible felony, murder, sexual battery, robbery, carjacking,
home invasion…) and is identified as having a substance abuse problem,
or is charged with a felony of the second or third degree for purchase
or possession of a controlled substance, prostitution, obtaining a prescription
by fraud. Upon motion by any party, the court may refer the case to a
Pretrial Substance Abuse Treatment Intervention Program or a treatment-based
drug court program. Additionally, if the person charged is a veteran who
suffers from military service-related mental illness, the court may order
a Pretrial Veteran’s Treatment Intervention program.

These programs all allow the accused to complete a set of conditions (mostly
involving treatment) while the case is abated. Once the program is completed,
the case is dismissed.

The obvious legal benefit of these pretrial intervention programs is the
ultimate dismissal of the criminal charge. Additionally, the accused may
personally benefit from the treatment received in the program.

To best assess whether Pretrial Diversion is the best available path in
a case, it is best to consult with an attorney. Call Longwell Lawyers
at 407-426-5757, for more information.

The information on this website is for general information purposes only.
Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual
case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt
or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.